PUK Forces Arrest Lahur Sheikh Jangi and His Brother Amid Ongoing Clashes in Sulaimani
The arrest followed reports from PUK-affiliated media that several fighters loyal to Sheikh Jangi had surrendered to PUK forces at the Lalazar Hotel, where intense clashes have taken place in recent days.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) forces arrested Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabani, along with his brother Polad Sheikh Jangi on Thursday, amid escalating tensions between rival factions in Sulaimani.
The arrest followed reports from PUK-affiliated media that several fighters loyal to Sheikh Jangi had surrendered to PUK forces at the Lalazar Hotel, where intense clashes have taken place in recent days. A Kurdistan24 correspondent on the scene reported that heavy gunfire could still be heard around the hotel despite the arrests.
Following their detention, Lahur Sheikh Jangi and his brother were transferred from the Lalazar Hotel to an undisclosed location. It remains unclear whether they will be taken to Dabashan or placed in a detention facility, as their arrest was carried out under the authority of the Sulaimani court.
Lahur Sheikh Jangi previously served as co-president of the PUK alongside his cousin Bafel Talabani. However, internal power struggles within the party escalated in July 2021, when Bafel ordered the closure of a media outlet linked to Lahur and dismissed several key commanders in both the counter-terrorism and intelligence agencies who were seen as his allies. Shortly after, Bafel declared himself the sole leader of the PUK.
In November of the same year, Lahur was formally expelled from the party, along with several of his supporters, thereby consolidating Bafel’s control over both the party and its financial assets.
Since then, Lahur Sheikh Jangi has pursued his own political path, founding the People’s Front, a new party officially licensed by the Kurdistan Region’s Interior Ministry on Jan. 17, 2024. The movement has attracted several former PUK members loyal to Lahur’s faction.
